The New York Giants waited 13 long weeks — more than two months — for their bye to arrive. For many players, that was the latest in-season bye week that they’ve ever had.
“I think it’s good when you look at it with this last five-game stretch, you know this bye week was kind of an opportunity to reenergize and rejuvenate and really just get your mind right for a five-game stretch,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “Obviously, one game at a time, but where we are, where the playoff picture is looking like, and just how close all these games and teams are in the NFL. There is a lot of opportunity ahead of us.”
Although the players treated it like any other bye, there was a noticeable difference in that it came so late. And now, upon their return, they will close out the season with five games in 28 days — another unique grind for a team that’s dealt with multiple schedule quirks this season.
“I’d rather not have another one this late, but at the same time though, it’s kind of unique in that when it is this late, you come back and as you said, you have played the vast majority of the season. So, it’s kind of like you get a little reset and then I feel like it kind of gives you a good chance to finish strong. We have what? Five games left,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said.
“It kind of just allows you to, even though it’s later in the year, you kind of get the wear on the front end. It kind of comes at the right time because obviously if you go into the postseason then it’s nice to have that little break right before.”
Whether the bye came in Week 6 or Week 13, Slayton was just happy to get a break from the normal NFL beating he takes on a weekly basis.
“It does good to not get tackled, you know, kept my body off the ground helped out but I feel good,” he said. “You get so used to starting your week feeling terrible. Like now, like on Monday, you know, I feel great. It’s like, wow, this is how Mondays are for regular people. It’s always like that coming off byes, but I feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to go.”
Left tackle Andrew Thomas, who’s dealt with injury issues all season, also used the time to recover.
“For me, the first few days of the bye week was really just getting rest,” Thomas said. “I had my family in town for a few days for Thanksgiving so just spending time with the family, letting my body recover and then later in the week just trying to get some lifts in, some recovery, some treatment, just to get my body primed to go for this last stretch.
It’s not just the physical break the players welcomed, but the mental one, too.
“It was cool. I didn’t do anything but relax, so that was much needed to get a little away from football and let my mind do something else besides think of guarding a receiver or looking at different formations. So, it was nice,” cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said.
Now the break is over. It’s back to work for these Giants, who are just two games out in the NFC Playoff hunt.
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